Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-12-04
THE HEAVENS.
A GLANCE at THE PLANETS FOR DE.
GENDER.
Movements Of the Principal Heavenly DO
dics-TAs Beauties tho Tele
scope shows.

o'clock in the evening shc reaches her
greatest western elongahon, being then
4Go 40 west of the sun. Sho will. after
that time, no longer rccede from :he
sun, as she has done since her inferior
conjunction on September 2lst. Swayed
by the suns all-powcrful attractions, she
will turn her steps toward him, regard
less that at the same time she IS IN
creasing her distance from the earth
and growing smaller and DINNER TO ter
restrial vision. Mono the less will she
be a planet Of dazzling briiliancy in the
frosty December mornings, when tho
heavens are clear, the atmosphere Is
pure. and the stars are respondent with
= lustrc that belongs 10 no other season
Of the year.
Venus. as she makes her way through
Virgo and enters Libra, makes conlunc-
tons with several stars that lie near her
path. On the ID she is in conjunction
with Zota Virgins, and on the 18th, 18th,
and 18th she is in conjunction with three
small stars in the Same constellation. On
the 18th she is in co3juction with Alpha
Libra, star of the second magnitude,
and on the 25th she is at her nearest
point 10 Beta Libra, also Of the second
magnitude. The fair morning star rises
on the LIST about four hours before the
sun, and on the 3lst about three hours
and half before the sun. In the tele-
scope, at elongation, she takes on the
base OF half moon, and after that
time becomes gibbous.
The right ascension of Venus on the
LIST is 18Th. SON., her declination is = L
south, her diameter is D., and she is i'll
the constellation Virgo.
Venus rises on the LIST five minutes be-
fore 3 o'clock in the morning on the
3lst she rises about a quarter before 4
o'clock.
MERCURY is morning star. On the
9th. at II o'clock in the morning, he
reaches his greatest western elongation,
being 90 36' west of the sun. He is
then and for week before and after
elongation under very favorable condi-
lions for observation, for though in
southern declinstion no Is several de-
grees north of the sun. Mercury IS IN
conjunction with Jupiter on the 4th. in
the morning, being at that time i 80
north of his big brother. The planets
rise on that morning about quarter
after o'clock. nearly two hours before
the sun. Jupiter will therefore serve
as a guide to point ont Mercury. He
will be recognized at glance, and the
fleet-footed planet can be picked mp a
degree and a half farther north. On the
% Mercury is in conjunction with Beta
Libra. On the 9th he is in close con-
junction with Zeta Libr@, being only Is
north of the star. On the 18th he Is at
his nearest point to Beta Scorpii, being
80 north. nthe 22d he is in conjunction
with the frst-magnitude star Antares,
being about s. north. Thus the smallest
ot tho planets wends hisswift way among
the shining stars
The right ascension of Mercury on
I'll lst is l5h. l3m., his declination is
II ~ south, his diameter IS y, and he
is in the constellation Libra.
Mercury rises on the 1st at 10 minutes
after o'clock in the morning on the
31st he rises at 20 minutes before Z
O'Clock.
JUPITER is morning star, and shines
on December mornings before the sun
rises with lustre second only to that of
the peerless Venus. One of the plea
santest planetary observations of the
month Will be to watch the approach OF
the two brightest planets of the solar
family, though neither OF them Is seen
in the most radiant aspect. The
reason for their approach is easily
explained. When Venus reached elonga-
ton she turned her steps toward
the sun, travelling eastward Jupiter
is receding from the sun and travel
ling westward. If, therefore, Venus IS
moving east and Jupiter is moving west,
on the same side of the sun. the planets
must approach each other. Every OBJ
server who watches the planets during De
cembsr will see that this IS the case.
On the LIST Jupiter rises about two hours
and half after Venus. On the 3ist he
rises only thirteen minutes after she APP
pears above the horizon. The two
brightest stars in the heavens so near TO-
gether will be fair to see.
The right ascension Of Jupiter on the
1st is 15h. 16m., his declination Is II
IS. his diameter is 29.8", and he is IL
the CONSERVATION LlbId.
Jupiter rises on the LIST about half-past
5 o'clock in the morning on the 3lst hC
rises few minutes before 4 o'clock.
Mars is morning star lie IS ap
preaching the earth. growing larger and
taking on a more ruddy tint. He Is fast
lessening the intervening distance be
tween himself and Uranus. and at th,
close OF the month there Is only the
difference of about half an hour in th'
time OF the rising OF the two planets
In this case Mars travels the faster ano
overtakes Uranus, both planets moving
in the same direction. In the case
of Venus aud Jupiter the planets arr
travelling in opposite directions an'
must eventually meet Mars may easll'
be found shining rs a red star IN thu
constellation Virgo and rising aDou
midnight on the last OF the month. Ol
the 18th he is in conjunction with lit
Virgins, of the fourth magnitude. Al
opera glass viii briug out planet and sta
IN the same field.
The right ascension of Mars on the Is
is llh. 55m., his dcclination is = %
north, his diameter is g., and he is Il
the constellation Virgo.
Mars rises on the lst at quarter be
fore | O'Clock III the morning on th
3lst he rises few minutes after mid
night
SATURN is morning star, and a most in
teresting incident III his history mark
his passage among the stars in Decem
Der. During the first half of the mont
be seems to make a plunge through th
cluster PrDsepe, and will make fin
subject for telescope study. Astromcr
have long desired TO see tiny sta
shining through the opening III Saturn
outer ring, and thus proving beyon
question that the SKY is visible beyond
and that the opening IS not duo to
dark shading in the ring. Why may nc
one OF the tiny stars Of this nebulou
mass get imprisoned in the dark spac
and settle the question forever?
will be remembered that IN Nc
venber Saturn passed south c
Prsesepe, continuing his direct cours
until tue 18th. when he was very nea
the star Delta Caneri. He rename
stationary for few days, and then bcgai
TO move backward or retrograde a it'll